Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has directed government officials to ensure that the flood situation in various parts of the State, especially in Chennai and its surrounding districts, does not recur. He has asked them to come up with permanent solutions to prevent such flooding.
During a meeting with top officials at the Secretariat on Friday, the Chief Minister said it was important to ensure that people did not suffer from flooding next year.
“We have a lot of constructive work to do. We have to ensure that the monsoon and heavy rain do not cause this kind of damage in the future. It is necessary for us to find permanent solutions,” he said.
The Chief Minister directed officials to come up with plans and suggestions to mitigate flooding in Chennai and its surrounding districts like Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Ranipet.
“Provide the right solutions and plans to implement them area-wise and department-wise. It was due to the Smart City project in Chennai that T. Nagar was flooded for 5-6 days. The same situation occurred in Thoothukudi as well. There too, under the Smart City project, the canals had been choked. When I spoke to some elderly women in the area, they were able to say clearly from where the water was coming. Officials, too, need to understand these things and provide suggestions,” Mr. Stalin said.
He further said there was no standard drainage in Chennai, and every area needed a different plan. He asked officials to come up with area-wise plans and suggestions.
“This has to be done immediately. I request you all not to take months to come up with plans and suggestions, and to provide them as quickly as possible. I am confident that we will also execute them as quickly as possible,” he said.